Letter to the Editor

A pat on the back

Recently, my family lost our son, who was also a brother and father in an incident that caused us to have extensive contact with local law enforcement officials and officers.

As a long time truck driver, I am always going the extra mile with my inspections and logs, so I might avoid contact with law enforcement, so this incident put me in unfamiliar territory, But, over the course of the last few weeks that contact has changed my mind about officers forever.

Helper Police Chief Trent Anderson was instrumental in this change. He was able to keep my family informed, and turn us in the right direction for help in making sense of this senseless tragedy. He was comforting, understanding and considerate in a situation where he received nothing in return. He faced the hard notifications with a courage that gave us comfort. He was honest, compassionate and sincere in the face of our daughter's relentless questions. And, as time has gone on, Trent has never wavered in his support of our family, even to the extent of answering and returning phone calls and extending words of comfort while on a family vacation.

We will never be able to fully thank Trent for his sincerity and consideration in our time of need but we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Chief Anderson for his courage and compassion.

Many other officers responded to the incident and to our needs and concerns afterward. Much of what they saw and felt will leave scars on them for their lifetime. We would like them to know that their sacrifice has not gone unnoticed, that our family extends a pat on the back to each and every one of you and recognizes your hard work, compassion and integrity in the face of a horrible situation.